Nicosia in Cyprus was founded in around 280BC, and by the Middle Ages it was a wealthy city packed with merchants. It was the Venetian invaders who built the impressive walls that still circle the city, three miles in circumference, with eleven bastions and a moat. When the Ottomans invaded, they too put their mark on this fascinating city. You’ll find cathedrals that have become mosques, churches that have become Turkish baths and palaces turned into public offices!

Today, the UN Green Line divides the city of Nicosia from west to east. The Turkish Cypriot portion of North Nicosia spreads northwards from this line, beyond the city walls, into the modern part of the city. It’s a tourist attraction in itself, a line of wire and corrugated iron that reminds visitors of the now fallen Berlin Wall. You can cross the border into south Cyprus at various points, but there is plenty to explore in North Nicosia itself, from the elegant buildings to the bazaars that fill the old streets.